Karri wattle facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Karri wattle |
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| A. pentadenia habit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Acacia
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| Species: |
pentadenia
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| Occurrence data from AVH | |
The Acacia pentadenia, often called Karri Wattle, is a type of bush or small tree. It belongs to the Acacia family, which includes many different wattles. This plant is known for its graceful, slender shape.
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What Does the Karri Wattle Look Like?
The Karri Wattle usually grows as a tall, thin bush or a small tree. It can reach heights of about 2 to 5 meters (6 to 16 feet). It has a thick, green crown of leaves that stay on the plant all year round.
Its branches are smooth and have small ridges. The leaves look a bit like feathers. They are made up of two to five pairs of smaller leaf sections, with the larger ones being 25 to 80 mm (1 to 3 inches) long. Each of these sections has 12 to 30 pairs of smooth, green leaflets. These tiny leaflets are only 3 to 6 mm (about a quarter of an inch) long and 1 to 2.5 mm wide.
The Karri Wattle blooms from July to December, showing off its creamy-yellow flowers. These flowers grow in clusters, with each cluster usually holding 15 to 25 individual flowers. After flowering, the plant forms seed pods that are about 60 mm (2.4 inches) long and 3 to 4 mm wide. Inside these pods are oblong-shaped seeds. Sometimes, people call this plant "cat bush" because it can have a strong, unusual smell.
How Was the Karri Wattle Discovered and Named?
The Karri Wattle was first officially described by a botanist named John Lindley in 1833. He wrote about it in a book called The Botanical Register. The plants he studied were collected near the Swan River Colony by another botanist, James Drummond.
The Karri Wattle looks quite similar to another plant called Acacia subracemosa. Both of these plants are part of a group known as the Acacia brownii group. Scientists have also found two slightly different types, or subspecies, of Karri Wattle:
- Acacia pentadenia Lindl. subsp. pentadenia
- Acacia pentadenia subsp. syntoma J.E.Reid, Ward.-Johnson & Maslin
Where Does the Karri Wattle Grow?
The Karri Wattle is native to the southwestern and Great Southern parts of Western Australia. You can commonly find it growing from around Nannup in the southeast, all the way to Denmark. There's also another group of these plants growing near Albany.
What is the Karri Wattle's Habitat?
Acacia pentadenia prefers to grow in sandy or loamy soils. It often grows as part of the undergrowth in Karri forests, which are filled with tall Eucalyptus diversicolor trees. It can also be found in Karri-Marri forests, where Corymbia calophylla trees grow. In these areas, the Karri Wattle can form thick groups of plants.
Other plants that often grow alongside the Karri Wattle include Agonis flexuosa, Allocasuarina decussata, and Chorilaena quercifolia, along with many different wildflowers. Karri forests are home to about 2000 different types of plants!
Can You Grow Karri Wattle at Home?
Yes, you can buy seeds for the Karri Wattle. This shrub grows best in places with mild temperatures. It likes sheltered spots that get some shade, and it does well in medium to heavy soils. However, it doesn't like very dry conditions or frost, so it needs protection from those.
Images for kids
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The leaves and flowers of the Karri Wattle
